ART-2100: Personal Art Interests

Hello! My name is Alexander Duvall, and in this post I wanted to share briefly some of the Art I find interesting. Below are a few examples of artists and art, listed by genre.

Manga / Comics:

Kōhei Horikoshi’s Boku no Hīrō Akademia (My Hero Academia):

My Hero Academia is a fun, lighthearted manga written by manga artist Kohei Horikoshi. The story takes place in a world where super powers are widespread and people born without super powers are considered abnormal. The series is about a kid who dreams of being a super hero, but finds out in his early childhood that he was born without powers. Through the intervention of a super hero who has the ability to transfer his power to others, the kid is given a chance to pursue his dream of becoming the world’s greatest hero.

The story is kind of cheesy, but it’s fun and puts off a feel-good vibe. The art in the manga series is round and very cartoon-ish, which helps support the lightheartedness of the series.

One’s One-Punch Man (Illustrated by Yusuke Murata):

One-Punch Man is a manga about a super hero who has the power to defeat any enemy he faces in one punch. As a result of his overwhelming power, the hero gets extremely bored with his job and faces day to day emergencies extremely nonchalantly. The story is a comedy following One-Punch Man’s search for a challenge.

This comic is interesting in that the manga illustrated by Yusuke Murata is an adaptation of the webcomic, also titled One-Punch Man. The webcomic is written and illustrated by an artist that goes by the pseudonym ‘One’, while the manga is written by both One and Murata, but is only illustrated by Murata.

The art style of the manga is interesting in that it uses a much more serious art style when compared to series like My Hero Academy. This ‘serious’ art style is used mostly for comedic effect as most of the story is written with heavy elements of irony.

TV Series / Anime:

Studio Trigger’s Little Witch Academia:

Little Witch Academia is an excellent series that follows a young witch as she enters Luna Nova, a school for witches. This series can be very closely compared to the Harry Potter franchise, seeing as they both deal with kids attending a school of magic. 

This series has one of the most endearing art styles I have seen of any Anime. The animation looks and feels like a Disney film. It’s a very charming art style for a very charming show.

Vince Gilligan’s Breaking Bad:

Aside from the story of breaking bad, which is excellent, the cinematography in Breaking Bad is phenomenal. I have yet to see another TV series that does cinematography as well as Breaking Bad. On top of the great cinematography, the series is exciting from start to finish. This show is definitely one of my all time favorites and I doubt it will ever be topped.

Movies:

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar:

This movie is interesting for several reasons, but one of the main things that I find interesting about this film is that a large portion of it is grounded in real science. The movie actually produced 3 scientific papers during its production, two of which were on computer graphics, and the other of which was on physics. I mention this film mostly for the movies success in rendering a mathematically accurate image of a super massive black hole. The film does a great job of depicting how distorted space would look at and around a black hole. The film is great for anyone interested in physics or just a good movie.

anything by Quentin Tarantino:

Quentin Tarantino is a master of dialogue. I absolutely love his films for that reason alone. On top of his excellent dialogue, Tarantino is great at using excellent cinematography. Overall his films are fun and filled with action, but they still make room for excellent dialogue and characters.

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Yahaman and Global Connections

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Mindy Spearman and Dr. Nafees Khan

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

April 24, 2017

Global Connections and Completeness

Overview of Global Connections and Yahaman:

Yahaman, being located in the Jade Sea, is not largely affected by the geo-political events that plague Westeros and western Essos. In addition to the island’s geographic isolation from the western world, the people of Yahaman are extremely xenophobic. This limits the amount of outside influence countries from outside the Jade Sea can have on Yahaman. Most of the geo-political events that affect Yahaman are very local and concentrated around Yi-Ti and the Jade Sea. Yahaman’s history is very closely tied to Yi-Ti and Yahaman’s culture could still be seen as merely a minor extension of Yi-Tish culture. As such, political relationships between Yi-Ti and Yahaman affect Yahaman more than most other global events. Historically, Yahaman has been affected by the long-night in the form of the incident’s cultural impact on Yi-Tish culture. It is speculated that the Whisperers originated from Yi-Ti in a time before the long-night, as the group speaks what is thought to be a form of ancient Yi-Tish dialect. It has been theorized that the people were likely Yi-Tish sailors that got trapped on the island during the long night thousands of years ago.

Recent Events in Yi-Ti Yahaman relations:

Within the past 100 years, Yahaman and Yi-Ti have gone back and forth from having good to less than favorable terms with each other. Around 70 years ago, Yahaman officially declared itself independent from the Lilliyan family and the country of Yi-Ti, making the island its own nation. Due to the fact that the island had been independent from Yi-Ti in all but name up until this point, little physical retaliation came from Yi-Ti. The head of the Lilliyan family, however, was severely offended. He called the declaration “disgraceful and disrespectful to both Yi-Ti and Yahaman’s past.” Due to the negative perception of the declaration of independence, the Lilliyan family refused to trade with the island for several years. The head of the family suggested that the other provinces of Yi-Ti boycott Yahaman as well. Yahaman responded by moving most rice, spice, and silk trade to Leng, focusing on the richer families in Leng that had sprung up since Leng’s independence several years prior. The upper class families of Yi-Ti, valuing Yahaman silk above all luxury trade, decided to lift the Yahaman boycott only a few years after it began. The Lilliyan family alone remained unmoved, refusing to trade with Yahaman for several decades following the declaration of independence. With the improved trade relations with Leng and the rekindled trade relations with Yi-Ti, Yahaman experienced an economic boom. As a result, the Yahaman military put its resources into expanding its silk farms and trading empire. The additional resources have also allowed the island to put more money into improving and organizing in-country trade. This has kept the island well fed over the years, making the people of the island fairly complacent.

Yahaman and Essos:

The Yahamish are an extremely xenophobic people. This is largely due to the teachings spread by the military faction in charge of the island. The military has made sure to reinforce the idea that outside influence is bad and disgraceful. As such, the island does very little trading with western Essos, despite the island’s relatively close proximity to major trading ports and slave cities. As such, the island has also taken an isolationist stance on the events of the world beyond the Jade Sea. When rumors of a “Dragon Queen” conquering Essos began to spread, the island only withdrew further inward, refusing to do any trade with merchants from western Essos.

Events to come/ The next long night:

The Yahaman military is aware of the long winter that is likely to come. As such, the Yahaman government has taken measures to store several years’ worth of rice and spice. It is speculated that it will not be enough, however. There are rumors that the next winter will last several decades beyond what is expected. As such, if Yahaman does run out of the food stockpiled for the winter, it is unlikely that the government will be able to maintain the order of the country. The lack of game on Yahaman makes it difficult to find fresh food during times when crops can’t grow. As such, it is likely that Yahamish society will collapse if the winter last too long. There are also rumors of the Whisperers planning to reclaim Yahaman during the next long night, should it occur. This is supported by Winla’s findings, which talks about a Whisperer myth where “the chosen will stone the unfaithful when the sun breathes its last.” If there is a winter to rival the long night, it is unlikely that Yahaman as a society will last.

image source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Kao_K%27o-kung_001.jpg

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Science, Technology, and Magic of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

April 17, 2017

Science, Technology, and Magic Build

Overview of Yahaman Technology:

Yahaman technology centers around military might and trade. The military has maintained control over Yahaman since the country’s founding. Because of this, most technology originates from the military. Among the most notable pieces of technology are the Yahaman trade fleet and Quiy’s pulley, two pieces of technology built for out-of-country and in-country trade respectively. Yahaman has also adopted several Yi Tish technologies, passed down from the Lilliyan family. These include intricate plumbing and ventilation systems, which the Yahaman elite incorporate into their homes and military offices.

Quiy’s Pulley:

At around 213 years after the founding of Yillan, Quiy, a formidable engineer under the Yahaman military, proposed the idea of building a pulley system along the right leg to allow ships to travel upstream from Yillan to Kenrin. The project took 25 years and resulted in Yahaman’s most intricate and eloquent trade route. The pulley was designed to help farmers in the south and to the left of the Left Leg be able to more quickly and efficiently trade with Yillan by trading through the outpost at Kenrin. Consequently, the technology has also allowed the military to travel the island quicker. As such, since the building of Quiy’s Pulley, military control over the southern and western regions of the island has increased since the times before the pulley. The military can also now more effectively monitor in country trade since most southern and western trade now goes through Kenrin. While the military maintains tight control over the island, the group does not exert a lot of force on Yahaman’s poorer citizens. Citizens are allowed to live and trade as they please for the most part with little military intervention, despite harsh monitoring. There are rumors, however, of people who publically denounce the military disappearing in the night. It can only be assumed that the military’s almost omnipresent knowledge of these people is a direct result of the quick transportation provided by Quiy’s Pulley.

The Yahaman Trade Fleet:

The Yahaman Trade Fleet is a massive fleet of military grade ships. Despite being called a “trade fleet,” the ships in the fleet are fully equipped combat vessels. As is with most ships in Yi Ti and around the Jade sea, ships in the Yahaman Trade Fleet are considerably larger than typical Westerosi ships. The ships are built using wood from the dense forests between the right and left leg. Over the centuries, this has caused the shores around the legs to recede inward. As a result, outposts have begun to sprout on the other side of the rivers, standing where thick forest once was. The fleet’s main purpose is indeed for trade, as Yahaman exports most of its silk using the military ships. The combat ready ships and trained crew allow for the safe transport of silk and other goods. The fleet also stands as Yahaman’s defensive line. The massive fleet keeps the island safe from invaders and allows the Yahaman elite to boast of Yahaman’s military might. The fleet is almost solely run by military personnel, as standard Yahaman citizens are rarely allowed to leave the country.

Upper-class Luxuries:

The Yahaman upper class experiences a variety of luxuries adopted from Yi Tish technology passed down by the Lilliyan family. Yahaman architecture is designed in such a way that air can be funneled through houses and government buildings to ventilate the structures during hot summer days. This allows the Yahaman rich to live in comfort and ease, despite the tropical environment of the Jade Sea. The cities of Yillan and Kenrin also use Yi Tish plumbing technology to efficiently transport water around the cities. Most of the luxuries from the Yi Tish plumbing are again reserved for the military elite. Among these luxuries are the Yahaman bath houses, which use Yi Tish plumbing and heating to produce warm, clean baths for the elite to use. The baths are restricted to military families and personnel, so members of the Yahaman lower class are not allowed inside. However, there are stories of poorer people sneaking into the baths late at night. Lower class citizens caught entering the bath houses are quickly punished, usually resulting in a public loss of hand.

The Whisperer’s and The Stone God:

The Whisperers are thought to have little to no modern technologies. This is supported by Winla’s findings, who wrote that the people were “tribal and barbaric.” It is rumored, however, that there is some sort of magic related to the stone god that the Whisperers worship. According to the military, the stone god is not real and has no powers, however lower class citizens near and south Kenrin believe that the stone god is a spirit responsible for turning those who venture into the mountains insane. Winla wrote about the Whisperers and their rituals and mentioned “elaborate displays of fire and stone” in his writings. Winla explained this as “a forgotten form of alchemy,” however there are those that believe that what he saw was a result of the work of the stone god. It is unknown if the Whisperers use any sort of magic from their god to alter or improve their life. It is thought that if there is any magic from the stone god, that the magic is purely religious to the Whisperers and is not used outside of a religious context.

image source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/f3/37/c4/f337c460a54726e1909e480a72eb0794.jpg

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Government and Civics of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

April 3, 2017

Government and Civics Build

Overview of Yahaman Government

Yahaman has been led strictly by a military group since its founding. In the first few centuries of the islands settlement, the Military served and acted on behalf of the Lilliyan family. Due to the distance between the island and the country of Yi Ti, the Lilliyan family entrusted total governance over Yahaman to the military group in charge. Over time, Yahaman’s dependence on the Lilliyan family diminished, and within the past century Yahaman declared itself a nation completely independent from the Lilliyan family and Yi Ti. Modern Yahaman is still strictly controlled by the military faction in charge. A large reason for the military’s consistent control over the island comes from the military’s control over the silk trade. This funnels a large amount of wealth into the military and members of military families. As such, the military’s influence is not easily shaken.

A smart regime:

Several of the military’s ruling practices originate from Yental, the second commander to rule the island after Winguin’s death. Yental was largely described as a military genius, knowing above all else how to organize and manipulate people. His principles for ruling have been kept throughout the nations life. Yental discussed the importance of control over people’s happiness. He spoke often of how the people under your rule need to be kept in check, but not oppressed to the extent that encourages mutiny. Under this guiding principle, Yental encourage his regime to stay out of peasant lives apart from a close management of supplies and trade.

Since Yental’s rule, the military has expanded control over its citizens. Despite this, Yental’s key principles still remain intact. Although the modern Yahaman military exerts more control over its citizens than in Yental’s time, the idea of keeping out of citizens personal lives is still maintained. While under heavy supervision, lower class citizens perform and manage their own trade of rice and spices. The military largely leaves the lower class to its own doing, while maintaining a close eye on how citizens organize and develop. The military retains the right to step in and enforce any regulations it sees fit, despite not doing so most of the time.

For most of the lower class, the military rule is an afterthought, though there are rumors of people who actively speak out against the military disappearing in the night. It is also known that the military will tend to strictly control rice trade during the winters, so as to provide for both the military families and the Yahaman citizens. The Yahaman lower class see this as a duty to country to provide for the hungry during the harsh winters.

A large reason why the military’s is capable of maintaining a loose control over its citizens comes from the wealth brought in by the silk trade. Since the military has complete control over silk trade, a vast majority of profits from silk are directed directly into the military and military families. The vast amounts of wealth allow the military to forgo heavy taxation while still maintaining dictatorial control.

Governmental Powers:

As a military dictatorship, the Yahaman government controls all laws and regulations in the country of Yahaman. Citizens have very few official rights, however the government does tend to treat its lower class fairly well, as is in line with Yental’s rule.

All legal entities and social welfare institutions are under military control. Among the most notable institutions are, the Yahaman Bank, the Yahaman School of Recovery, and the Yahaman Trader’s Guild. While the services of government institutions are officially for all of Yahaman citizens, many of the more useful services are reserved for members of the Yahaman military and military families. Aside from rudimentary health services, the Yahaman lower class does not get much from Yahaman’s social institutions.

The government also controls any and all silk trade and has a strict control of all other forms of trade out of country. The control over silk is largely to maintain the wealth of the Yahaman upper class. The control of other out-of-country trade is to manage the cultural influence on the country of Yahaman. The military is keen to reject foreign ideas and ideologies. In this way the military can maintain its cultural influence while rejecting any foreign culture. Because of Yahaman’s extreme xenophobia, the government can also be described as fascist.

Citizenship:

Yahaman culture is largely derived from Yi Tish culture and consists of a deep respect for family and authority. Because of this, Yahaman citizens feel a strong sense of duty to family and country. Especially among the lower class citizens, houses are typically controlled by the oldest male family member. Other family members are expected to follow the lead of the head of the house. The head of the house will often decide on how other family members function in society. Jobs, marriages, and education are assigned and controlled by the house head. This sense of duty to family extends to country, as most citizens believe it to be their duty to maintain the Yahaman culture and to reject foreign influence. Military mandates are taken seriously and are seen as being for the benefit of “the common good.” This extends to lower class views on trade regulations and military control over social institutions.

It is also important to be said that those who actively speak out against the military are not seen in a positive light by the public. There are also rumors of citizens who do publicly protest the government disappearing in the night.

Whisperers and Government:

The whisperers live in a largely unstructured society. The group is said to be tribal and headed by “the strongest among them.” According to Winla’s studies, there is little to be said as to what defines a member of the Whisperers. The Whisperers tend to accept anyone into their society that relinquishes themselves to the stone god. The Whisperers live a life with little to no structure, loosely led by the strongest in their tribe.

Image credit: http://arts.cultural-china.com/chinaWH/upload/5-3(10).jpg

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Sociology of Yahaman

Alexander Duval

Dr. Mindy Spearman and Dr. Nafees Khan

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

March 13, 2017

Sociology Build

Overview of Yahaman Sociology:

Most aspects of Yahaman society are dictated in some way shape or form by the Yahamish Military. The Yahaman military is a large legal institution that maintains immediate control over almost all other institutions within Yahaman. Beneath the military are smaller, more specialized institutions, which are run by and headed by military personnel. Some examples of these are the Yahaman bank, the Yahaman School of Recovery, and the Yahaman Trader’s guild. The military claims that these institutions exist for the benefit of all Yahaman, but often any useful services are reserved solely for military personnel.

The military also exists as a social group, as all of Yahaman’s elite belong to the country’s military families. A few other social groups can be found across the island. There are the farmers, who have customs specific to running and maintaining farm life, and there are the traders, who live fast lives and exhibit aggressive diplomatic skills.

Yahaman Bank:

The Yahaman Bank, while open to the public, largely goes unused by Yahaman’s lower class citizens. This is largely because of the large tax placed on coin trade within the country. Because Yahaman must import all of its coinage from Yin, the Yahaman government thought it necessary to keep the currency to a minimum use within the country. Farmers and traders will use a bartering system more often than not. The bank exists mostly for the benefit of the Yahaman elite. Government officials will use the currency as salary. Laws forcing traders to accept Yi Tish currency, allows military employees to buy goods with they’ve earned. The Yi Tish coins are also widely used in trade around the Jade Sea. Most foreign trade is done through the exchange of Yi Tish coins.

Yahaman School of Recovery:

The Yahaman School of Recovery acts as a citadel of sorts for the Yahamish nation. Capable military personnel are sent to the School of Recovery to study healing and Yahamish history. Several famous scholars have emerged from the School of Recovery, most notably Winla, an anthropologist who performed a study on the Whisperers several decades ago. The information contained within the School of Recovery is restricted to military personnel. The school offers no benefit to those outside of the military elite, though some small studies can be found around the city of Yillan that will offer healing to the Yahaman lower class in exchange for hefty amounts of coin.

The Yahaman Trader’s Guild:

The trader’s guild is an institution built to manage in country trade. The guild claims to be for the benefit of the Yahamish lower class, but it exists primarily to indirectly enforce minor regulations on the price of goods. The guild consists of both lower class and military citizens, but it is headed entirely by military personnel. Nationwide decisions on the value of goods are made and enforced by the Trader’s Guild. The Yahaman lower class are permitted to give input, though the guild acts mostly on the consensus of the guild’s military members.

The Military as a Social Group:

It is widely known that the military extends beyond a legal institution. The military also exists as a social group consisting entirely of Yahaman’s upper class. Any and all wealthy citizens of Yahaman belong to the military. Because of this, a large part of Yahaman culture is formed by the military. Military customs are military family customs. This influences how people, even in the lower class, behave and develop. Yahaman’s class structure can limit how much the military as a social group can influence poorer citizens, however. As a result of the divide between the military and the non-military, different social standards have developed independently from one another. Most notably is the differing social norms on gender and gender roles. Among the very rich, gender roles have evolved into a more modern interpretation of gender. Members of the military recognize a gender for those born biologically female, but exhibit very masculine characteristics. This is very different from the Yahaman lower class’ interpretation of gender and gender roles. Non-military members follow a binary gender structure and believe that men and men alone should lead and head households. Women in lower class society are seen as caretakers and are used as bargaining chips in marriage proposals for economic gain.

Farmers and Traders:

There are two dominant social groups in the Yahamish lower class society. There are the farmers and the traders. Farmers in general live a very “rough of the land” kind of life. They believe in living for yourself and believe that men should work and manage the fields while women clean and care for the children. Farmers often live slow lives and will avoid visiting the cities apart from trade. They will sell their goods at Kenrin or Yillan, mostly bartering for rice if they’re a spice farmer, or spice if they’re a rice farmer.

Traders, unlike farmers, live very fast paced lives. Traders are often found traveling back and forth from Kenrin to Yillan. Most, if not all, traders have lived in both cities at some point in their life. With their profession, traders have developed a very argumentative nature. Traders are aggressive, but diplomatic. Traders are unusually truthful and honor bound. This is largely due to oversight military personnel have over trading communities. A merchant that is found guilty of cheating a customer will be harshly and publicly punished for his crimes. A merchant that is found cheating a military officer is often put to death on the spot.

Conflict between Social Groups:

Among the lower class citizens, the farmers and traders do not get along well. The traders’ tendency to be aggressive and fast paced often conflicts with the easy paced nature of the farmers. This can lead to disputes between the two groups. As a result, farmers tend to marry into other farmers and traders tend to marry into other traders. The ties to family further separate the two groups, making it rare for farmers and traders to interact outside the cities.

The lower class sees the military largely as a governmental entity, though they do recognize the military’s social influence. Out of fear of the overwhelming control the military has on the country of Yahaman, the lower class tends to avoid any conflict with the military upper class.

Ethnicity and Race:

Yahaman’s ethnic variety stops at the distinction between the Yahamish and the Whisperers. The Yahamish people in general are fairly xenophobic. Traders from essos are often kept from entering the country beyond the trading docks. Yahaman merchants will also avoid venturing beyond the Jade Sea to conduct trade. As a result, almost all of Yahaman’s cultural influence comes from Yi Ti and the island’s along the Jade Sea. There is very little influence from the western countries of Planatos.

The Yahamish can be described as being entirely Yi-Tish in race. The Yahamish people originated from Yi Ti and have maintained the Yi Tish biological features. Most do not know of the origins of the Whisperers, but most would describe them as having largely Yi Tish features. Some minor facial differences fit the description of the Yi Tish people from ancient times before the Long Night.

The Whisperers Sociology:

According to Winla’s studies, the whisperers are a largely tribal group of people. As such, there is very little structure in Whisperer society. The closest thing to an institution the whisperers have is their leading member who decides where the group goes and what the group does. Their leader changes quickly and often, as their society is based almost entirely on strength. The strongest of the whisperers leads and can be overthrown at any time by someone stronger. As a result of the very loose social structure, there are few groups that a Whisperer can belong to, outside of their immediate family.

CHARACTER DISCUSSION:

Linayi

Linayi’s primary group is very thin compared to her secondary group. Because of this, Linayi struggles with her social identity.

Primary:

In her primary group are the 4 or so people she feels like she has an intimate connection to. At the top of this list is her younger brother, who she cares for more than anything else in the world. Since her mother’s death and because of her father’s frequent absence, Linayi has almost single handedly raised her younger brother since the age of 4. The two children have developed a very close bond and consider each other their best friend. After her brother comes Thettinan, Siimon, and Lyurra, all of which are close friends of Linayi. Thettinan is a military kid around the age of 10 whom Linayi has only met a handful of times. Despite their lack of interaction, Linayi considers Thettinan a close friend and has kept the stories and words he told her about military life to heart. Siimon is the youngest member of the trading family that runs the rice kitchen at the end the street Linayi lives on. He is a boy around the age of 7 and is close friends with both Linayi and her brother Kethi. The three will often sneak off to play together when Siimon is sent on errands for his father’s shop. Lyurra is a girl and is the only child of the silk worker who repairs the clothing of military personnel stationed in Kenrin. Lyurra’s father was publicly executed when caught trying to steal silk from his wife, the silk worker, when Lyurra was 3. Lyurra is 15 years old and is the only girl Linayi knows who is around the same age as herself. Linayi and Lyurra have been close friends ever since learning of their similar troubled family backgrounds.

Secondary:

Linayi’s secondary group is much larger than her few group of friends. Linayi still interacts with her father from month to month when he returns from Yillan a few days at a time. Because of his frequent absence, Linayi has never developed a personal relationship with her father. Linayi is also very familiar with traders and the trader group. She has studied her father conduct trade and bargain with merchants along the streets of Kenrin. She knows how even something as simple as buying a meal requires an excessive amount of arguing and negotiation. Linayi is also socially classified as being a lower class female, which means that she belongs to her father and brother in the eyes of the public. Linayi is expected to fill the role of a lady and to bear children and to live solely for her family. This philosophy has never sat well with Linayi and she has done her best to quietly reject the idea of “being a proper lady” throughout her life.

Conflicts Between Groups:

Linayi has had a lot of conflict recently within her primary group, mainly between her friendship with Lyurra and Thettinan. She recently revealed to Lyurra her romanticized view of military life based off of what Thattinan had told her. Linayi explained how “wonderful it must be to be a military woman. A woman who can actually do something with her boring life.” Lyurra was not amused with Linayi sudden interest in military life. Lyurra explained how she saw the military as an evil controlling force. She talked about how they murdered her father and how the military officers often harass and degrade her mother. This led Linayi to exclaim “Well your father did steal from them.” Lyurra attempted explaining that her father stole the silk because her family had no food, but Lyurra’s story went largely ignored by Linayi. Lyurra stormed out the room the moment she realized Linayi had tuned her out. The two have had their friendship on hold ever since.

Linayi has also had a lot of conflicting coping with her assigned role in society. She has always felt like she doesn’t fit the social norm. The ideas presented by Thettinan of a man stuck in a woman’s body really resonated with her. She self identifies as an illina (a man trapped in a woman’s body), but she does not state so publicly. She understands that she’s expected to fill the role of a Yahamish lady, but she largely doesn’t feel like she’s capable of doing so.

 Image source: http://static.wixstatic.com/media/2b7659_f1fdf30f7d014618a36d51bc1210fffd.jpg_srz_879_440_85_22_0.50_1.20_0.00_jpg_srz

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Psychology of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

March 6, 2017

Sociology Build

Overview of Yahaman Psychology:

The psychology of the Yahamish people can be broken down into psychology built from the Yahaman social structure and psychology built from external, global causes. These global causes are outside of the control of the Yahamish social structure and can be largely be described as biological or mystical factors that can influence one’s psychology. For the Yahamish, there are only two major global factors that can influence psychology. Among the Yahamish upper class, generations of intermarrying between select military families has led to biological defects to be semi-common. While these defects are not widespread, they are common enough that the military has begun labeling impaired individuals as ‘ini-van’ or “too far gone” in Yi-Tish dialect. In the past, Yahaman had its share of ini-van leaders, however in more recent years Military heads have done their best to keep the impaired out of leadership positions. The other major global factor in Yahaman is the mysticism associated with the Whisperers. Many Yahamish have stories about how those who venture into the mountains return deranged. In Yahamish history, Winla, a scholar working under the Yahamish military, led an expedition into the mountains to study the Whisperers and they’re way of life. Winla returned mad and was sentenced to death shortly after making his way back to Yillan. The psychological effects of the mountainside are most commonly described as insanity. There are reports of individuals experiencing hallucinations and hearing voices as well. Often the effected individuals claim to have met or seen the “stone god” and have been known to whisper into rocks in a way similar to the rituals the Whisperers perform.

Gender Identity and the Yahmish People:

The gender norms in Yahaman can be categorized by three different groups of people. There are the Whisperers, which largely do not have any formal definition of gender and have been described as an androgynous society. There are the Yahamish lower class, which follow strict binary gender roles, where men are expected to manage farms and conduct trade and women are expected to care for children. Additionally, there are the Yahamish upper class, which has developed a more gender fluid social structure over the years.

Gender Identity and the Whisperers:

Most of what is known about the whisperers is derived from Winla’s texts. In his studies, Winla describes how the whisperers live a very strict “the strong survive; the strongest lead” lifestyle. In Whisperer society, there are no defined genders or gender roles. The weaker people, often the elderly or the young, will tend to the more mundane matters in life, such as cooking or taking care of newborns. The stronger people, which are comprised of both men and women, hunt and lead. Winla describes in his journals how both men and women led the tribal people and how new leaders would assume power by physically challenging the current leader. As a result, few leaders ruled for very long during Winla’s stay. Winla described the society as “the Dothraki, where the women can become Kahl.”

Gender Identity and the Yahaman Lower Class:

The social system of the Yahaman lower class is governed almost entirely by loyalty to family. As a result, men and women are expected to always act in the best interest of the family. Men are expected to lead and organize and women are expected to produce and care for children. The head of a Yahamish household is often the oldest male. The house head will dictate how everyone else in the family behaves and will make decisions for the younger family members. Women are told who to marry and are given away as bargaining chips to strengthen relations between families. Men are built to lead from birth and are trained to manage crops or trade. A man is expected to marry solely for the benefit of the family and is expected to seek out a wife that will benefit the family in some way. A woman is considered a man’s responsibility, and men are expected to have control over what their wives, sisters, and daughters do or say. In this way, the Yahaman lower class have very strict and restrictive gender norms. Anyone found outside of these norms is considered disgraceful or shameful to the family. This makes life very difficult for women and for anyone who lies outside of the traditional gender binary.

Gender Identity and the Yahaman Upper Class:

The Yahaman upper class has a unique perspective on gender and gender identity. Despite the still dominating influence of family and family loyalty, the upper class have much looser definitions of gender, gender roles, and gender norms. Centuries of lavish wealth has allowed the very rich to experience extensive amounts of down time. In this free time, new art and cultural thoughts have developed among the upper class. Among these new thoughts came a development in beliefs surrounding gender, gender roles, and gender identity. Modern upper Yahaman views on gender are largely derived from these new and developing beliefs in combination with the ever present sense of family and family loyalty. Specifically, the military families describe three different genders. As with the Yahaman lower class, those born biologically male are expected to maintain a male identity. The men of the Yahaman upper class lead, much like they do in the Yahaman lower class. Those born biologically female, however, are known to take on two different gender identities. There are those who identify as female and generally take on the stereotypical female roles in upper class society. Then there are those who are biologically female, but identify as male. In the Yahaman society, these individuals are referred to as ‘illina,’ meaning “trapped” in Yi-Tish. The illina are viewed as those who were meant to lead, but were given a female body. While the military often reserves the highest authority positions for those born biologically male, the illina are still permitted to take office in the military. Often high ranking male officials will look to marry illina, as they view it as a way to strengthen the masculinity in their bloodline. Few illina have also been known to lead their respective households. The military families permit this as a way to allow those stuck in a feminine form to exercise their masculinity. The Yahamish people have yet to define similar genders for those who are born male, but identify as female. Men who claim that they are illina are often shunned as perverted and lazy. The Yahamish believe that a man who claims to be a woman is only trying to avoid the responsibilities of a male. Likewise, the Yahamish do not believe in a neutral gender, as they feel that every member in Yahamish society should fill some roll to support the family and that a person must “raise or lead,” referring to the Yahaman roles of men and women respectively.

 CHARACTER CREATION:

Linayi

Linayi is a girl around the age of 14, living in the city of Kenrin. She lives in an abnormally small household for a Yahamish, consisting of only her, her younger brother, Kethi, at the age of 6, and her father, Rinitt, a merchant who transports rice from Kenrin to Yillan along the Right Leg. Linayi’s mother, Villa, died two years ago to fever, leaving Linayi to care for her younger brother while her father is between cities.

In upper Yahamish society, Linayi would be described as an illina, that is to say Linayi was born with a very masculine personality within a female body. However, since Linayi is a part of lower class Yahaman, she is expected to fill the “woman” role in her family. As such, Linayi is considered her father and her brother’s property. This has led to a lot of struggle in Linayi’s life, as her brother is often held in higher esteem than herself, despite the fact that Linayi provides for her family more than her brother ever could.

Linayi’s Encounter:

During one of her father’s long voyages to the capital of Yillan, Linayi found herself in the presence of a young military boy in the alleyways of Kenrin. She stumbled across the child on her way home from the markets, where she had bought rice for her and her brother. The boy was around the age of 10 and wore an elaborate silk garb. He looked terribly lost and was wandering the streets of Kenrin alone. Linayi asked for the boy’s name and the boy revealed himself to be Thettinan, the youngest member of the military family that was stationed at Kenrin to oversee trade. Thettinan described how his family usually oversaw trade at the ports of Yillan, but that they were recently re-stationed in Kenrin. He mentioned that he had wished to explore Kenrin, but that his mother had not permitted it, so he snuck out.

Linayi took the boy back to her house, where he joined her and her brother in dining on dishes of rice and fish. Thettinan became quick friends with Linayi and her brother Kethi. Talking with Thettinan gave Linayi a taste of the military life. Linayi described how she wished she could live like Thettinan and how she longed to lead a more meaningful life. It was here that Thettinan described the concept of the illina and how women could lead among the military.

This thought stuck with Linayi and would largely shape her worldview as she grew older.

Linayi’s Psychology:

Linayi is a character that is under several psychological pressures. She is born to a family that is smaller than most and as a result gets ridiculed for having a small or “weak” family. This stems from the Yahamish view that family means everything. She is also a very masculine character, despite the fact that she is biologically female. She has a strong personality and often rejects the common conceptions that a woman is only meant to cook and care for children. Her resistance to the status quo is only strengthened by her meeting with Thettinan and his description of the illina. She personally identifies herself as Illina, though she mostly keeps it to herself, as she knows the concept is considered disgraceful in lower class society. Her father’s absence and her mother’s death have also strengthened Linayi’s sense of independence. She learned from an early age that the world is not fair and that she has to take matters into her own hands to survive. As a result of her parent’s absence, she has also developed leadership skills very early on, as she is tasked with keeping her brother fed and safe. Her relationship with her brother is strange in that in public, she knows that she is her brother’s property, but in private, she and her brother get along wonderfully and her brother often recognizes her as being “in charge.” Due to the death of his wife and his frequent absence, Linayi’s father can be described as neglectful. As a result, Linayi has yet to develop a meaningful relationship between her and her father.

image credit:

http://www.ancientchinalife.com/ancient-chinese-women-1.jpg

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Culture of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

February 27, 2017

Culture Build

Overview of the Yahaman culture:

Yahaman’s two people have vastly different cultures. The Yahamish have a very family oriented and authoritarian based culture. In the country of Yahaman, the elders lead the young, and responsibilities are sorted by seniority. This philosophy extends from the military faction that governs the island down to the individual families and farms of the Yahamish lower class. Conversely, the Whisperers are said to have an ill structured society. The group is largely tribal and can be best described as “the stronger lead; the strong survive.” Their culture can be most comparable to that of the wildlings north of the wall. Not much is known about the Whisperers, aside from their apparent wild and unruly nature, though findings from Winla’s expedition suggest that there might be more cultural overlap between the two peoples than meets the eye.

The Yi Tish Culture and Yahaman:

The Yahamish have deep roots in Yi Tish culture. This stems from Yahaman’s history with Yi Ti and the Lilliyan family. Consequentially, the Yahamish people practice a vast majority of the Yi Tish rituals and traditions. Because of this, the Yahamish speak and write in the Yi Tish language. Everything from government to family structure stems from Yi Ti in some significant way. This does not mean that the Yahamish are without their own identity, however. Years of spice and silk trade has given Yahaman a rich sense of pride and economic knowhow. Capitalist ventures have also exposed the island to cultures from around the Jade Sea, namely the isle of Leng. Outside influence is limited, however, due to the Yahaman government’s control over the information that enters the country. The modern Yahamish culture can be described largely as Yi Tish with small hints of Leng.

The Yi Tish Emphasis on Family:

Yahaman societal structure at the commoner level stems from the Yi Tish people’s emphasis on families and lineage. The land of Yi Ti, while once strictly governed by a single ‘god-emperor,’ has more recently moved power to the families that individually govern the different counties within the country. As a result, loyalty to one’s family is highly emphasized Yi Tish culture. The Yi Tish people emphasize the importance of contributing to family and obeying seniority. Most commoners take this to mean that the head of a household (usually the oldest male) dictates how the family functions. Most aspects of a child’s life are heavily monitored and highly controlled. Even among commoners, children are expected to marry who they’re betrothed to and to specialize in the work determined by their parents. Most Yi Tish households contain several people, with most containing three generations and some extended family living under one roof. The Yahamish commoners copy this family dynamic almost exactly. The military people of Yahaman practice most of the aspects of Yi Tish family structure, though most military families tend to be much smaller, consisting of only one or two generations per household.

The Yi Tish Religion and Yahaman:

Among the more significant traditions Yahaman inherits from Yi Ti is religion. The Yi Tish people believe in several gods, but namely worship two deities, the Lion of Night and the Maiden-Made-of-Light. It is written that the first emperor of the nation of Yi Ti was born when the Lion of Night fathered a son on the Maiden-Made-of-Light. It was this son who ruled the “Great Empire of the Dawn” for ten thousand years and was said to be God-On-Earth. Most of Yi Ti’s historical governance stems from this belief that there was a God-Emperor who lead the Yi Tish in the beginning of their empire. To this day, Yi Ti is still officially ruled by a God-Emperor, though true power now resides in the small counties throughout the country.  (http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Lion_of_Night)

The Yahamish people retain belief in the Yi Tish gods and legends of the first God-Emperor, though due to the fading power of Yi Tis recent emperor’s, it is largely accepted by the Yahaman that the current rulers of Yi Ti have no relation to the gods. This ideology was largely pushed by scholars under the Yahaman military. Movements against the idea of the Yi Tish emperor having any relation to the Yi Tish gods began as early as 200 years after Yillan’s founding. Scholars from the country of Yi Ti, namely those serving the Lilliyan family, have speculated that this movement was intentionally directed by the Yahamish military to ease the Yahamish people into the idea of a Yahamish independence. In this way, the Yahaman’s leaders could slowly erode a large aspect of the people’s loyalty to Yi Ti and the Lilliyan family. The modern Yahamish people believe in the ancient Yi Tish mythologies, but largely believe that there is no god-emperor on earth and that there likely won’t be again lest the long night returns.

A Structured People:

The unique aspects of Yahamish culture are derived largely from Yahaman’s strict military structure. The military’s predominant control over governance and external trade allows the Yahaman government to regulate the flow of information in and out of the country. Most information from around the Jade Sea goes unchanged, and most texts are allowed into the country, provided they don’t speak poorly of the Yahamish military or the silk trade. Influence from countries beyond the Jade Sea is heavily restricted. This stems from the military’s belief in indirect control of the people. Yahaman military scholars have reasoned that what makes the people of Yahaman easy to govern is the widespread cultural belief in loyalty to family and authority. As a result, the Yahaman government does its best to censor any information that could imply a culture of people that frequently revolt against their leaders. This control of information normalizes the dictatorial aspects of Yahaman life. Namely, this “justifies” the government’s strict control of trade. Commoner’s see military intervention as “for the good of the country.”

Silk and Spice:

A large part of artistic expression from the Yahamish people comes from the crops that the island produces. Among the commoners, the variety of spices found around the island lead way to elaborate ways of seasoning dishes of rice, goat, and fish. In this way, the lower class Yahamish people entertain themselves by inventing unique flavoring made from the variety of spices found on the island. This gives the otherwise bland dishes of rice many of unique and intricate varieties. Seasonally, spice festivals will be held in small communities, where families will meet and share foods seasoned with spice. The city of Kenrin and the Capital of Yillan are known to have street venders that sell unique seasonings made from a seemingly infinite combination of spices. Silk production has given Yahaman’s upper class an artistic outlet of their own. Along the Jade Sea, the Yahaman military families are known for their elaborate garbs made of silk. One can often identify high ranking military officials by the number of colors that make up their silk clothes. The tradition of dressing in silk extends down to the military children, which are dressed from birth in custom robes of silk.

The Whisperers:

Most of what is known about the whisperers and their culture comes from the journals of Winla’s expedition. According to Winla’s notes, the Whisperers are a largely tribal group of people and live in a sort of “the stronger lead, the strong survive” type society. Winla wrote that he did not understand the need for such a strength dominated culture, as the people seemed to be well fed hunting and gathering within the mountains. Winla assumed this “kill or be killed” attitude of the Whisperers must stem from their belief in some form of Stone deity. Winla, along with a few other accounts, describe how the Whisperers will be found frequently facing large flat edifices in the mountainsides, with their hands against the stone, whispering into the rock. This is thought to be the Whisperer’s form of prayer to their stone god. Winla also described a variety of celebratory rituals, mostly in the forms of dance and storytelling. Scholars have since reviewed Winla’s notes on the Whisperer’s dancing and have made connections to descriptions of the lost dances of ancient Yi Tish tradition. Winla also speculated that the Whisperers spoke some bastardization of ancient Yi Tish, as he recognized similar speaking patterns to that of his studies. It is unknown if the Whisperers have a written language, but it’s largely assumed that the people have no form of documentation aside from oral tradition.

 Image source:

http://www.absolutechinatours.com/UploadFiles/ImageBase/Elite-lifestyle-China-ancient-culture.jpg

 *** The Aspects of Yi Tish culture that were not invented by me are cited at the end of the paragraph from which they are referenced.

*** In this article, the only aspect of Yi Tish culture I did not invent was the Yi Tish religious belief and history of a God-Emperor. The notes on Yi Tish family dynamics are my own invention/assumption.

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: Economy of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

February 13, 2017

Economics Build

The Modern Economy of Yahaman and the Yahamish:

Overview of Yahaman Economy and Economic Class System:

The economy of Yahaman can be separated into two distinct economic classes. At the top are the military families, which own a vast majority of the island’s wealth. Far beneath the military, are the common folk, which can be divided into two subclasses. There are the traders of Yillan and Kenrin, which can be considered the “richest” of the common folk, and there are the peasant farmers, which operate small, individual farms either collecting spices along the Legs, or farming rice in the Yahamish hills.

Military forces in Yahaman accumulate most of their wealth through the silk farms to the east of Yillan. The entire silk trade is overviewed and headed by military officials. Servants indentured to the military run the farms, process the silk, and transport the silk to the ports of Yillan. Military ships collect the silk from Yillan and transport it in bulk to neighboring nations around the Jade Sea. Most of this silk is sold to the nobles of Leng and the royal families of Yi Ti. All foreign trade is strictly supervised, and all wealth is directly collected by military heads. Profits are brought back to Yahaman, where they are distributed among the military families of Yahaman.

The military also enforces heavy tariffs on the export of non-silk goods. In this way, the military controls most of the wealth generated by non-silk trade with foreign nations. Sales at the ports of Yillan are heavily supervised and taxation is strictly enforced. Cheating a military official is grounds for forced indentured servitude and in rare cases can be punishable by death.

Spice and rice trade within the country of Yahaman, also called “common trade,” is still heavily supervised, though not nearly to the extent of foreign trade. Officially, the military has “complete and total control” of common trade and retains the right to treat spice and rice sales in the same way that silk trade is handled; however, the military tends to keep common trade in a pseudo “free market” state. In this way, officials let common folk determine their own prices for rice and spices. Common trade, while heavily supervised, is only moderately taxed. Most of the wealth from common trade is redirected directly back to the common folk. This keeps the common folk happy, as most of rice sales are done within the island. As a result, the common folk stay relatively well fed, despite their poor economic status compared to the very wealthy military families that govern the country.

Overview of the economy of the Whisperers:

Little is known about the Whisperers and their society. Based on Winla’s findings, it is assumed that the whisperers are tribal and mostly operate on a hunter-gatherer economy. It is believed that the Whisperers simply hunt game found in the mountainside and eat from the plants that grow in that region. It is believed that the people once hunted the boars that reside in the heavily forested area between the legs before they were driven back to the mountains during Yental’s purge.

Properties of Yahaman Economy:

Land:

Yahaman’s resources are mostly centered around the rice, spice, and silk farms found throughout the nation. The silk farms, found to the east of Yillan, are entirely controlled by military forces, as silk is considered a valuable commodity across the Jade Sea. Rice farms can be found in the hills of Yahaman. Most of the food produced in Yahaman is grown in the rice hills. Along the Legs are found the spice farms. Farmers in these areas have been able to farm spices unique to the island of Yahaman. As a result, spice farmers tend to be wealthier than rice farmers, though not by much due to the harsh taxes placed on exporting non-silk goods.

Yahaman is a heavily forested area, with a large jungle in the area between the Legs. From the abundance of wood comes plenty of material to build suitable habitats for the Yahaman residents. Farms and villages along the Legs tend to be a bit larger than those found in the hillside due to access to the river and the abundance of wood from the jungles. Settlements in the hill tend to be small and are built using wood from the small forests found in the hillsides.

Skins from game found in the jungles and forests are used to create clothing for the Yahaman residents. Leather from boars found in the jungle has been used to clothe the people settled along the Legs. People that reside in the hills use cloth from created from goats that can be found in the hillsides.

Labor:

The labor of the common folk can be divided into two major factions. There are the farmers, which are generally considered the non-specialized labor population, and there are the traders, which are the specialized people of Kenrin and Yillan. A vast majority of the population are farmers. Farmers are responsible for growing crops, hunting game, and producing rudimentary clothing. Farmers can largely be considered self-sufficient, with the exception of the spice farmers, which rely on rice trade for food. The traders encompass the majority of the people settled in Kenrin and Yillan. Traders are either specialized in specifically in the transportation of goods, or in the production of materials.

The most skilled labor force in Yahaman are those that process the silk on the silk farms in Yahaman. The silk spinners are very specialized and are also responsible for weaving garbs for members of the Yahaman military.

The labor of the military is largely focused on the governing of Yahaman. Members of the military are specialized in enforcing trade regulations and in managing Yahaman’s resources.

The women and children of military families can be considered a non-labor population in Yahaman. Military families are among the wealthiest people in Yahaman and the women and children of the military officials are expected not to work and lead mostly pampered and social lives.

Capital:

The isle of Yahaman largely depends on the Legs as a means to transport goods across the nation. The pulley system along the Right Leg, proposed and built by Quiy 239 years after Yillan’s founding, provides quick and efficient trade between Kenrin and Yillan. This provides ease of access to rice and other goods across the country. Additionally, the vast amounts of wood found in the jungles between the Legs allows for plenty of raw material to build ships for exporting goods outside of Yahaman. Over the years, the military has accumulated a large military from this abundance of wood, though most of the ships built are trade ships headed by military officials.

Entrepreneurship:

Due to the large military control, entrepreneurship is largely limited on the island of Yahaman. All ventures, beyond basic rice and spice trade, have originated from the military. The silk farms in the early history of Yahaman were confiscated by the Yahamish military 83 years after Yillan’s founding and have been under military control ever since. The invention of the pulley system along the Right Leg was proposed by Quiy, a military engineer, and construction of the pulley system was headed entirely by the military. There is little opportunity to establish trade empires in Yahaman due to the strict control of goods exported out of the country. The common trade is heavily monitored and any development of the market beyond the status quo is swiftly shut down. This keeps the Yahaman lower class in a predictable, consistent economic state.

Production:

The island provides several renewable natural resources for production. The rivers, known as the Legs, provide plenty of fertile soil for farming the spices unique to the island. Runoff in the hillside provides the flooded fields necessary to the rice that is also native to the island. Boars in the jungle and goats in the hills provide leather and cloth to provide clothing to the common folk. The silk farms, controlled by the military, offer a unique, renewable resource which can be sold to ports around the Jade Sea.

Consumption:

The rice farms in Yahaman cover most of the country’s food needs. Common folk are also known to eat from boar and goat meat, though due to the wild and undomesticated nature of both animals, game is not considered a reliable source of food. Fortunately, the Legs provide swift transport of rice across the nation, keeping the common folk fed, even during harsh winters. The island’s tropical climate also keeps Yahaman relatively warm even during the winter years. Because of this, the people are easily able to build up enough stock in rice to last the winters. The military families rely mostly on the silk trade to provide their needs. Through trade, the military will often import exotic spices and meats, which the military families use as food. The silk farms provide the military families with clothing through exquisite silk garbs. In the winters, the military will often resort to stocking up on rice, much like the common folk do. During the months leading up to a winter, it is not uncommon for taxes on common trade to be higher than normal.

Economy Type:

Yahaman largely has a command economy, with a pseudo market economy for common trade. Almost all trade in the nation is supervised and regulated by the military in some way shape or form.

Currency:

Having origins in Yi Ti, Yahaman uses the Yitish form of currency, which is prevalent across the Jade Sea. Internally, Yi Tish coin is officially used to handle trade between commoners. Externally, Yahaman uses Yitish coin in both trade with Yi Ti and Leng. It is not uncommon for bundles of silk to be sold solely to resupply Yahaman’s stock of coin. This is largely due to the lack of metals on the island for the military to print coin for themselves. Any metals would be found in the mountains, which the Yahamish people largely avoid. It is also common for barter trade to occur both in and outside of the country. The military has been known to trade crates of silk for ships worth of exotic meat and spices.

Distribution:

Coin is distributed largely by traders, which can trade goods for more coin at Yahamish banks located in Yillan. Banks are headed by Military officials and trades for coin are usually highly taxed. For this reason, common trade is mostly done through bartering, despite the military’s stance that Yi Tish coin is the official means to conduct trade within Yahman.

 Image Source:

http://www.ancientchinalife.com/ancient-chinese-trading-2.jpg

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones: History of Yahaman

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Mindy Spearman and Dr. Nafees Khan

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

February 6, 2017

History Build

Overview of the history of Yahaman:

The history of Yahaman is a history of two people. It is the history of the Yahamish, a group from Yi Ti that invaded the island some 500 years ago, and it is the history of the island’s natives, who the Yahamish call whisperers.

The primary history of the island is told by the Yahamish, as little is known about the whisperers. Most historical records are kept by the military faction in charge of the island, leaving information on historical events to be heavily controlled by the island’s government. Despite this restriction of information, it is believed that the militaries account of Yahamish history is fairly accurate and that the information is only kept under governmental control to rewrite the misdoings of some of Yahaman’s less favorable rulers.

The history of the whisperers is largely unknown, though there are speculations about their origins. It is believed that the native population dates back to before the long night, as evident by the people’s description of “an eternal darkness that plagued man in the last world.” The whisperers keep no written texts and speak a language that seems to be a bastardized version of ancient Yi Tish. Because of this, it is thought that the people have some relation to the ancient Yi Tish and may have migrated from Yi Ti in a time before the long night. They are considered a primitive people with an aversion for even the most basic of machinery, calling man made contraptions “cursed moving stone.” The people worship some form of stone god, which may be related to the presence of grey scale in the native community. The natives are also known to hug and whisper into large slabs of stone embedded in the mountain side; it is from this ritual that the people get their name.

History of Yhaman as told by the Yahamish:

The discovery of Yahaman:

The history of Yahaman, as told by the Yahamish Government, originates in Yi Ti. The island was first discovered under the rule of the Lilliyan family, a royal line of princesses that governed the Lilli, a county within Yi Ti. Prince Hengo, the head of the Lilliyan family at the time, sent the prestigious commander Winguin on a military campaign across the Jade sea 496 years ago. In his two-year campaign, Winguin happened upon the island of Yahaman, which he named after his father Yaham. He and his soldiers did not venture far beyond the island’s coast, but did discover spices in the jungles that bordered the sea. Winguin returned to Lilli, where he requested that Hengo send a larger group of soldiers and civilians to occupy the island to harvest the island’s unique spices. Hengo, known then as a carefree ruler, complied and instructed Winguin to take as many men, women, and children as he saw fit to settle the island.

Winguin began his second campaign 489 years ago. In this campaign, Winguin took a fleet of 2,000 people, consisting of mostly civilians with some 700 trained military men. Upon landing, Winguin and his men made their first settlement along the river, which would come to be known as the Right Leg, met the ocean. Winguin called the settlement Yillan, named after his mother Yilla. This settlement would come to be Yahaman’s major trading port. For the first decade, the people of Yahaman did not venture far into the island, harvesting mostly spices from the trees that grew along the right leg. The spices were transported back to Lilli, where they were sold to merchants back in Yi Ti. Twelve years into the settling of Yahaman, Winguin died at the age of 56. Yental, Winguin’s next in command, took charge and oversaw the island’s development for the next 30 years.

First contact with the Whisperers:

After Winguin’s death, Yental sought to expand the Yi Tish presence on the island. Within the first two decades of occupying the island, the Yitish people did not expand far beyond the coast, harvesting mostly spices from the trees that grew along the Right Leg. Yental reasoned that there might be more resources yet to be discovered further inland. Yental gathered a group of around 500 men and ventured down the Right leg, searching for new plants and wildlife in the jungles and along the hillsides. At 23 years after the founding of Yillan, Yental and his men came across a small group of indigenous people camped along a hillside. According to texts, the encounter was met immediately with hostility from the natives, as Yental and his men were attacked with spears and stones. The small group of 40 or so people was mercifully and swiftly put down. It was after this encounter that Yental and his men returned to Yillan with news that the Yahamish were not alone on the island.

Within the next month, a group of 300 men from the Whisperers attacked the settlement of Yillan, crossing the Right Leg from the jungle in the middle of the night. Some 100 men, women, and children were killed before the Yahamish were able to organize a group against the natives. Yental led a group of 600 men, which swiftly beat the Whisperers back into the woods. After the attack, Yental decided that the natives were “not natural, and not safe,” and led a decade long campaign to search and eradicate the native tribes. The few remaining tribes fled further and further inland, eventually hiding in the mountains. Yental pursued the tribes, sending several groups of men to hunt down the few remaining in the highlands. It was only after several of his men returned deranged and without success that Yental decided to abandon the extermination of the Whisperers and became content with leaving the natives secluded to the peaks.

Period of Economic growth:

Within the next hundred years, the Yahamish people expanded across the island. Settlements to the south of Yillan began to sprout along the hillsides, where farmers began to grow rice in the fields flooded by runoff from the hills. Spices were discovered all down the Right Leg and trading posts began to develop further and further down the river. Some attempted to settle the jungles between the Legs, but were unable to due to the harsh jungle environment.

At 73 years after the founding of Yillan, development of Yahaman’s other major settlement began. The trading post of Kenrin was created as a way for the people who had settled along the left leg to trade with the city of Yillan. In this time, the river’s current was too strong for ships to move from Yillan back to Kenrin, so most trade was done by roads between the two settlements. The outpost mainly acted as a way for people along the left leg to get sell their goods without having to travel to Yillan.

At 83 years after the founding of Yillan, entrepreneurs discovered silk worms in the trees to the far east of Yillan. Rich silks were developed and shared with the island’s capital. The farmers who had discovered, harvested, and processed the silk quickly became among the richest people on the island. Gille, the military leader in charge at the time, saw the silk as an opportunity to further Yahaman and the Lilliyan family’s greatness and overtook the silk farms. From that day forth, the silk farms would be a staple of Yahamish export, managed exclusively by the military elite.

At 213 years after the founding of Yillan, Quiy, a formidable engineer that served the Yahamish military, proposed the idea of building a pulley system along the right leg to allow ships to travel upstream from Yillan to Kenrin. Jin, the military head at the time, approved the idea, and the project went underway. Within the next 25 years, Quiy’s massive pulley system was developed. At 239 years after the founding of Yillan, ships could travel upstream to Kenrin for the first time. This has since allowed for more settlement along the Left Leg and has granted access to an even richer array of spices and crops. As a result, the island experienced a population boom due to the abundance and ease of access to crops.

Trade beyond Yi Ti:

Around 240 years after the founding of Yillan, Jin, the military head at the time, asked the Lilliyan family for permission to trade with people beyond the county of Lilli. The Lilliyan family, aware that Yahaman had already been illegally trading with Yin for decades, agreed to formally dissolve the rule that Yahaman must trade strictly with the county of Lilli. Within the next several years, Yin became Yahaman’s largest trading partner in the Jade sea, though regular trade with Lilli was still present.

Winla’s Study of the native people:

At 285 years after the founding of Yillan, Winla, the scientific head of the Yahaman military thought it necessary to study the native people, who had been residing in the mountains since Yental’s purge. Reluctantly, the government of Yahaman agreed to let Winla venture to the mountains to study the Whisperers. The military reasoned that information on the natives might be necessary to subdue any threat from the “strangers in the mountains.” Winla took a group of 20 men and ventured into the mountains for over a decade to study the Whisperers and their way of life. When Winla returned, he appeared deranged. Winla mentioned the whisperings of a stone god and often spoke into the stone floors at the capital of Yillan. The members of his crew had also gone mad and a member of them had contracted grey scale. Winla was branded a lunatic and was sentenced to death, along with his crew, shortly after their return from their expedition. No study of the native people has been done since then.

Yahamish Independence:

73 years ago, the military of Yahaman declared itself independent from the Lilliyan family. As a result, Yahaman denounced any loyalty to the Lilliyan family or to the country of Yi Ti. At this point, the island had been governing itself for over 300 years and did not see the point in keeping a formal loyalty to a family that they had lost economic dependence on. The Lilliyan family did little to retaliate, considering the island had been independent in all but name for decades now. Quin, the head of the Lilliyan family did see the declaration as an insult and requested that the city of Yin to halt all trade with the island of Yahaman. Yin complied to this request and cut off trade with Yahaman for 5 years. In this time, Yahaman focused trade with Leng and the other islands along the Jade Sea. Yahaman’s economy was barely affected and as a result Yin resumed trade with Yahaman despite Quin’s requests. Within recent years, Yahaman has repaired most of its relationship with Lilli and still trades frequently with the Yi Tish county.

Current Events:

Yahaman has lived a prosperous life since its foundation. It has quickly become an economic powerhouse in the Jade Sea. Yahaman still has strong trading ties to Leng, Yin, and the county of Lilli, with a few trading deals beyond the Jade Sea with the cities of Essos. The island has existed in peace and has undergone little physical struggle in its 500 or so years since Yillan’s discovery. However, there have been rumors of people dreaming of a stone god and fear that the Whisperers from the mountains might soon attempt to retake their homeland.

History of The Whisperer’s as told by Winla’s expedition:

Most of what the Yahamish people know about the natives comes from Winla’s expedition into the mountains. Though Winla went mad and was executed shortly after his return, his findings were recorded in the journals he took with him on his voyage. It is understood that the Whisperer’s speak a language similar to ancient Yi Tish and it is thought that the Whisperer’s might also be Yi Tish in origin. The Whisperer’s are thought to have existed on the island since before the long night, as is custom in the Whisperer tribes to tell stories about “the eternal darkness that cursed the last world.” To this measure, Yahamish scholars also believe that the Whisperer’s have some sort of cyclical view on the world and the progress of the universe. Scholars think that the Whisperer’s believe that the world has died and been reborn several times and will still die and be reborn again. It is known that the Whisperer’s worship some sort of stone god and have worshiped the “god from stone” for as long as they have existed. Based on Winla’s findings, scholar’s think that this religion may be a result of the natives’ view on the disease grey scale, though some of the Yahamish peasants believe the stone god to be a real demonic force that corrupts the mountains and its people.

Image Source:

http://imgur.com/gallery/Okyyt

World Building in a Game of Thrones: Geography Build

The Island of Yahaman:

Alexander Duvall

Dr. Nafees Khan and Dr. Mindy Spearman

Worldbuilding in A Game of Thrones

January 30, 2017

Geography Build

Overview of the Isle of Yahaman:

The isle of Yahaman is an island located in the Jade sea, just south of the isle of whips, between the islands of Great Moraq and Marahai. The island is occupied by a military faction that, until recently, served the Lilliyan family, a royal line of princes from the land of Yi Ti. Within the past 70 years, the island has declared itself independent of Yi Ti and the Lilliyan dynasty; little has been done since to bring Yahaman back into the fold.

Yahaman has trade relations with Yin and various port cities on the isle of Leng. The island’s major exports consist mostly of crops, with select spices that are native to the island. Yahaman also produces a large amount of rice, which is grown in the hillsides of the landmass. The military also has direct control over the few silk farms that Yahaman has. All silk trade is overseen by the military, with most of the earnings going directly toward the higher-ups in the Yahaman government.

Within the country, there are several small villages, consisting mostly of rice and spice farmers, with two major settlements to the north and south of the island. There is the trading outpost of Kenrin, located to the south of the isle at the fork of the Legs, a pair of rivers that runs through the middle of Yahaman. Farmers living in the southern portion of the isle bring their crops to Kenrin, where the crops are sold to traders and transported upstream to Yahaman’s capital. Located along the coast in the north, is the city of Yillan, Yahaman’s capital. Here is where the military heads are stationed. As a result of the country’s military rule, the capital undergoes strict trade regulations. Most trade deals are overseen by government officials, or, as with the case with silk trade, are handled entirely by military personnel.

To the far south of the country is a mountain range, stretching along the southern coast. From the mountains comes runoff, which has led to the creation of the Legs. Most villagers avoid traveling near the mountains for superstitious reasons. Within the mountain range live the few remaining natives to the island, which were displaced some 500 years ago when the Yitish military first arrived. The natives are said to worship a stone god, who supposedly made man from the stone in the mountain side. It is thought that this belief stems from the presence of grey scale among a few of the natives. The natives view the disease as a curse and as God’s way of returning man to the stone.

Location:

The isle of Yahaman is located just to the south of the Isle of Whips, between the islands of Great Moraq and Marahai. The island is about half the size of the island of Leng and is part of the group of islands surrounding the Jade Sea.

As a result of an extensive history with and close proximity to Yi Ti, most trade is done with the city of Yin and with several smaller port towns along the isle of Leng. Trade relations along the Jade sea keep the cultural influence closely tied to the Yitish culture. There are sprinkles of western influence in the Yahaman culture due to the few trade relations with the great slave cities of Essos, which occasionally trade along the Jade Sea.

Place:

Yahaman is a combination of a very hilly and tropical region. To the far south of the island is a massive mountain range, which stretches along the southern coast. The mountains produce runoff, which pools at the base of the mountains near the center of range. From here, the runoff forms the base of the great rivers known as the Legs. The Legs run through the center of the island, forking a few miles from the base of the mountain. The left fork is simply called the Left Leg, and the right fork is called the Right Leg. Both the Left and Right Leg flow through the hillsides of Yahaman, running eventually into the Jade Sea.

The Land between the Legs is heavily forested and is Yahaman’s most tropical region. Not many have settled here, as the land is densely covered in forestry, making it hard to grow grains and spices. To the left and right of the Legs are hilly regions, interspersed with moderate forests. Farmers settle mostly in the hills, where rice is grown from flooding caused by runoff. Spice farmers will also have settlements along the rivers, where the fertile soil produced by the Legs can be used to grow spices native to the island.

The climate of Yahaman can largely be described as tropical and is mostly hot and humid, as are most islands along the Jade Sea. As a result, most forests are tropical and largely jungle-like. The creatures native to the island are mostly small, jungle dwelling creatures. Native game is mostly restricted to the boars that roam the forests, though there are a few other domesticated species that have been introduced to the island over the years.

The population of Yahaman is moderately sized, consisting mostly of farming communities scattered across the landmass. There are two major settlements to the north and south of the island. At the fork of the Legs, is the trading town of Kenrin. Farmers in the southern regions of the island will sell their goods to traders in Kenrin, who will then transport products upstream to Yahaman’s capital. In the north, where the Right Leg meets the Jade Sea, is the capital of Yillan, a major trading city that also houses the military officials that govern the island. From here, Yahaman exports most of its goods across the Jade Sea.

Regions:

For the most part, the island of Yahaman can be considered one region. The island has declared itself its own nation and is uniformly ruled by a military faction based in the city of Yillan. Small farming communities are governed independently, but for the most part have to adhere to the trading regulations of Kenrin and Yillan, which are controlled by the country’s military. A sizable military fleet dissuades piracy, as the accessible coast is heavily monitored.

Physical Movement:

Most of life in Yahaman is centered around the Legs. The flowing water of the Legs allows for spice crops to grow and provides transportation from the southern regions of the isle to the capital in the north. Small landmasses off the coast protect Yillan from the severe storms that can arrive from the Jade Sea. A piece of land to the north west of Yillan, known as the Fat Man, takes the bulk of the blow from most tropical storms. Other areas along the west and east coasts are not settled because of frequent storms and crop failure.

Human Environment Interaction:

Humans typically avoid the more heavily forested areas of the island because of the inability to grow grains and spices. As a result, most farmers settle along hillsides or near the Legs. People also avoid the mountain regions for superstitious reasons. This is largely because of a small population of natives that reside in the mountains. The natives were displaced when the Yitish military force arrived on Yahaman some 500 years ago. The people of Yahaman avoid the native hill tribes, believing them to be sub-human and cursed.

The military faction in charge of Yahaman have developed an elaborate pulley system that stretches along the Right Leg from Yillan to Kenrin. The system is designed to help boats travel upstream from Yillan to Kenrin. The system acts by pulling trade ships up the river through a series of cranks stationed along the Right Leg. The cranks are powered using the flow of the river.